The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-02-03
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
Speech of Nr. w L.. Parsons in the House
in Favor of the Present System.


system there were several good speeches.
The galleries and lobby were crowded and
marked attention paid to many speeches.
We We're particularly pleased with the
speech of Mr.. Parsons, of Anson. At our
request he has furnished synopsis of
, what was a strong argument. He said
Mr.. SPEAKER: In view of the wide range
which this debate has taken it would be
we'll for us to return TO a consideration of
the measure before uS-the bill to repeal
the present system of County Government,
with the proposed amendments, now pend
! ing. COncedlng the necessity of protect
/ ing our Eastern brethren, Mr.. EWarts
/ amendment proposes 70 exempt certain
| counties from the operation of the bill,
i thus presenting the questlon-o of dual sys-
tenn. To this there are two fatal objec
/ tiOuS:
First-It violates the spirit of Article
of the Constitution
Secondhand even if this were not SO,
it would be Gnwise and ineXpedient TO de-
! Stroy uniformity in our county machinery,
and Introduce the dangerous element Of
! change and uncertainty.
The amendment of Mr.. Oakley proposes
to require Il bond of 50 0G0 from each
Commissioner FOR the faithful performance
Of his duty to be taken BY the Clerk and
Sheriff. 1t does not include the Nagis-
trateS. This would afford but Slight pro
lection 70 the people. who have the right
T. demand honest and capable officials 70
levy taxes and manage their county tinan-
ceS, instead of the uncertain and tardy
remedy of a suit upon an official bond
The amendment would be Intellectual to
| meet the evil.
County Commissioners are necessarily
,j /, Il
| important matters committed to them.
and no official bond would protect the
counties against the ignorant exercise of
that discretion. These amendments do
not, therefore, improve the bill.
Stripped Of these a!luring disguises the
proposition is to return 10 that infamous
system which Inundated and oppressed
our people under Radical supremacy.
The Republican party now, as then, is
Ill favor Of it. They wish to deceive the
people by the false cry that the present
system of appointing Magistrates is un-
democratic. In all their invest CATION of
this subject the advocates of the bill ap-
pear 70 have found no public official not
elected BY the people save and except JUS
tees of the Peace and County Commits
s0ner, IN North Carolina. They have
overlooked oversee rs of roads and teachers
Of public schools 70 be consistent they
| SHOULD tAltltl tue biil W t!lc>e-
If 1t is undemocratic to appoint Magis-
trates, why do not these FRIENDS OF LIB
ERTY advocate the election of Postmaster
by the people:
If this General Assembly is incompe-
4 tent to select Magistrates, why permit it
to choose the [. 5. Senator's? The advo-
Gates of this bill do not claim that THESE
ought to1b elected bv the people.
fs s PFssTasht b the rbitsd III sdfssss sta5ts
(himseIf not elected directly by the peo-
ple) Of the Judges of the Supreme Court
and of the various District and Circuit
Courts. And these are appointments for
life. The appOlntees pass upon the liberty
and property of the people. Will some of
he advocates Of this bill tell me when
they ever voted for any member of a
Presidents cabinet9 These are places of
power and the Republlcs rs do not think
the people ought to be consulted in filling
them. They have entirely fogotten the
revenue officers and that great army of Off
cialS is respons ible only to the President.
The most powerful official, perhaps, in
all the land, the Secretary Of the Treasury,
who controls the peoples money and
their financial destiny is appointed by
one man; and yet these guardians of the
peoplc's rights say, by their silence, this
is all right No need to make him re
|
nents ant plenary powers of a NOrt Car
olina Justice of the Peace alone that
awakens the ANXIOUS solicitude of the Re
publicans on this floor.
Such political hypocrisy will deceive no
one The voters of the State have already
repudated it more than once at the ballot
box 1t IS the stale plea of the demagogue-
Give the people honest and discreet Mag
l,trates and they will not complain about
he Of bo;
For 1os years our forefathers lived un-
! Ter substantially the present system
North Carolinians will continue to accept
their standard of liberty, rather than that
of the political party that framed the Can
by constitution, under the LIBERTY Of
which they levied war against the citizens
of the State,
1t is charged that in certain counties
under the present system, IN certain cases.
the Commissioners have acted arbitrarily
and Sc as 10 incur popular censure Grant
ing this to be true, it does not follow that
the system should be condemned 1t
would be unWi,e to abolish that which is
an essential in many counties upon isolat
! ed instances of improper conduct on the
part of the Commissioners The remedy
! is to replace these with better men. Sher-
| ifs, Registers and even members of the
, Leglsla, ure al: elected by the people, have
| sometimes made theTnSelfeS unpopular. II
Commissioners were elected By the people
their official acts would frequently offend
i and provoke certain citizens.
The charge made by Mr.. Pritchard that
under the present system the Commls
onerS of a certain county had placed a
white female pauper under the control OF
negro man is evidently a mistake The
5 authorities no doubt allowed her something
E for her support, but had no power under
, the law 10 put her under the control OF
any one OUTSIDE of the poor house. If
l she lived with the negro it must have been
of her own choice. No one understands
! better than the Republicans on this floor
that when white man or white woman
voluntarily and from choice associates with
IA negro the law does not interfere And
the Republican party thinks none the less
| of them
J We have heard a great deal of boasting
. and yapOring from the other side over
. their increased numbers in this House. II
| is not on account OF desire Of the people
to elect Magistrates and Commissioners
l as has been asserted, but is rather the re-
2 suit of their Indifference at the last elec-
5 ton to vote for those officers already cleo
tive.
The pret. nded confidence of the Repub
: licans on this floor is all feigned. Like
5 the little boy in the graveyard, they are
only whisiiing loudly to keep their cour-
age up.
On the occasion of the Washington
) birthday exercises, at the University which
; take place on the 22d Of February. Mr.. r.
} N. Hackett will be the orator. Music viii